Stethoscope head with tongue depressor



Sept. 4, 1951 c. T. WEHBY STETHOSCOPE HEAD WITH TONGUE DEPRESSOR Filed sept. 21, 1949 Patented Sept. 4, 1951 I srsrrioscors HEAD wrm roNcUE DEPREssoR Charles T. Wehby, Cincinnati, Ohio Application September 21, 1949, Serial No. 116,923

My invention relates to improvements in med- It is an object of my invention to combine.

a stethoscope head, flashlight, tongue blade and thermometer in such a way that these elements combine to produce a novel, improved medical apparatus.

it is an object of my invention to provide a` device in 'which the 'use of a tongue blade is made more simple and eicient because of its combination with a stethoscope head.

It is a further object of my invention to pro- Vide improved `medical apparatus which combines a ashlight and a stethoscope head in such manner that the stethoscope head both protects the light bulb from injury and also acts as means for directing the light beam.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a combined tongue blade and thermometer in such a way that the thermometer may be more easily shaken down, more easily retained in a patients mouth and in which the chances of breaking it are greatly reduced.

t is a further object of my invention to provide a thermometer and tongue blade in combination with a stethoscope head in such a manner that the stethoscope head will serve as a housing for the tongue blade and thermometer and also serve as an extension cf the tongue blade and thermometer.

Further objects and advantages of my invention vwill become apparent to one skilled in the are during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same and in which:

Figure l is a plan view of an improved medical device constructed according to my invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an end view of my device as seen from the right of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a' sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of a combination tongue blade and thermometer as incorporated in my improved stethoscope head,

2 Claims. (Cl. 12S-15) 2 Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 'I 'I of Figure 5, v

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail View of the light socket and a portion of the switch, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the actuating element used in locking the tongue blade and thermometer within the stethoscope head.

Referring now to the drawings, especially Figures l and 2, it should be noted that my apparatus comprises a main body portion made of some suitable metal and indicated at I0 and a plastic head piece II. The plastic head piece II is formed with a funnel shaped interior surface I2 ending with a small opening which registers with the usual sound conduit I3 located in the body IU. Conventional leads I4 extend from the stethoscope body I0 to the ear pieces which are not shown, my invention residing in the design and construction of the stethoscope head proper.

Located in the main body I0 of the stetho scope head above the sound conduit I3 is an elongated opening I5 adapted to receive a flashlight battery IS. At its outer end the opening I5 ends in a threaded portion I'I adapted to receive an insulated sleeve I8 in which a socket I9 is fixed. The detail of the insulating sleeve and socket is best seen in Figure 8. rlhe socket I9 is designed to receive any standard light bulb 20 as desired. The stem 2I of the light bulb 28 is maintained in contact with the button 22 of the battery I6 by a spring 23 provided Vin the rear of the opening I5. A switch member 24 constructed of spring steel or the like is suitably fastened to the body I0 as at 25. The member 24 is further provided with a button 26 by means of which the member 24 may be depressedto thus make contact with the socket I9 and thereby cause actuation of the light 20. To this end the body I0 is provided with a cut-away portion 2'I over which the member 24 extends and also with a small opening 28 through which the curved portion 29 of the member 24 extends when the button 2-6 is depressed to thus contact the member 29 with the socket I9.

As best seen in Figures 2 and 3 the plastichead piece II is provided with an opening 30 adapted to receive the light bulb 2U when the piece II=is secured to the main body portion I0 of the stethoscope. In order that the piece II may be secured to the body I Il, the body I0 is provided with a fixed pin 3l and the piece II with a bayonet slot 32, the relation between the pin 3| and slot 32 being such that a small turn of the piece Il will result in it being securely locked to the body I0. It is contemplated that there will be a plurality of such conventional pins and slots. It should be noted that the .piece H is secured to the body ID before the light bulb 26 is screwed into the socket I 3 and to this end the pins 3l and slots 32 are so located that when the piece Il is secured to the body i6 the opening 30 will properly register with the socket I3.

The main body i6 is provided with a pair of lugs 33 depending from its bottom portion and extending throughout the length of the head I0. These lugs 33 are so formed as to constitute a track for a combination tongue blade and thermometer as will be more fully described later. Such tongue blade is indicated generally at 34. The plastic head piece H is provided with a groove 36 adapted to receive the bulb of the thermometer incorporated in the tongue blade and thus permits such blade and thermometer to be moved along the tracks formed by the lugs 33. It should be noted that the head piece Il will be secured to the main body I6 before the combined tongue blade and thermometer are inserted into position.

Referring now to Figures 4, and 6 I will describe the combination tongue blade and thermometer incorporated in my improved stethoscope head. The tongue blade comprises a flat portion 36 having a raised ridge 37 extending along both its sides and one of its ends. The portion 36 of the tongue blade is provided with a shallow groove 36 adapted to receive the stem of the thermometer. This thermometer, which is indicated at 3S, is of conventional construction. As best seen in Figures 5 and 6, however, the thermometer 39 is positioned Within a member 40 in such a manner that the bulb end M of the thermometer extends through an opening 42 provided in the member 46. The member 4U is of such thickness as to just nicely register with the bottom of the tongue blade 36 and top of the ridge 37. A portion of the tongue blade 36 is cut away so as to receive an extension 43 of the member 46. The member 46 is positioned with respect to the tongue blade 36 and 3l in such manner that the stem of the thermometer 33 lies in the groove 38 above mentioned. The member 36 is secured to the blade 36 by means of a plurality of screws extending through the ridge 3! into the extension 33. These screws are indicated at M. It should thus be observed that the completed tongue :blade comprises the member 36 having the ridge 31 taken in combination with the member 66. The thermometer 39 is of conventional construction and may be provided with registrations either on the stem 33 or blade 36.

The advantages of having the thermometer 33 made an integral part of the tongue blade 36 are that the thermometer may be more easily shaken down because of the ease with which the large tongue blade and thermometer may be grasped and of course a thermometer so positioned within y a tongue blade as I have described is less fragile and not so apt to be broken in handling. Another advantage of kthis combination is that the thermometer may be more easily maintained within .the mouth because of the large gripping area provided by its association with the tongue blade 36. In this regard it vshould also be noted that the .ridges 31 help to prevent the thermometer 39 being broken by the patients teeth.

As above explained this combination thermometer and tongue blade is adapted to slide along the track formed by the lugs 33 of the main body I6 of my improved stethoscope head. In order to prevent the tongue blade 36 being moved too far back in the instrument I have so formed the member 40 that projections 45 are provided to act as stops for thus limiting the movement of the tongue blade 36. When in this retreated position the member 40 extends just short of the plastic end piece I I.

Referring now to Figures 4, 5, 7 and 9 I shall describe the means by which the tongue blade 36 is maintained in relation to the main body I0 of my improved stethoscope head. A blade member 66 preferably formed of spring steel or the like is suitably secured to the face of the tongue blade 36 at one end thereof as shown at 41. On the under side of the tongue blade 36 I have provided a pair of lugs 48 through which extends a xed shaft 49. Adapted to be swung about the fixed shaft 49 is an actuating member 56 which is shown in perspective in Figure 9. When the member 56 is in the position shown in Figures 4, 5 and 7 its portion 5I contacts the member 66 and presses it against the bottom side of the main body I3 of the stethoscope head, thus retaining the tongue blade in spring maintained contact with this head. The member 50 is, of course, located beneath the tongue blade 36 and the member 5I extends through an opening 52 provided therein. When the member 56 is vso actuated as to bring it to the dotted line position shown in Figure 7 the member 46 Will return to a more nat position and thus release the tongue blade 36 from its spring contact with the stethoscopehead l 0. The member 5U may then be used as a convenient handle which the operator may grasp in order to slide the tongue blade 36 along the track forming lugs 33. When it is desired to use the tongue blade and thermometer in the examination of a patient-the blade 36 may be moved by grasping the handle 50 and sliding the blade along the track formed by the lugs 33 until it has reached a forward position at which point it may be again clamped to the head l0 by movement of the member 53 to the position shown in l full lines in Figure 7. In this' position the stethoscope head serves as an extension or gripping means for the tongue blade 3.6 and thereby makes it possible to obtain greater leverage in the use of the blade 36, i. e., the effective length of the tongue blade is increased to include a major portion of the stethoscope head. It should be also noted that in this position the light provided in the stethoscope head can be utilized in the doctors examination of the patient with the blade 36. It should be here mentioned that the tongue blade and thermometer may be completely removed from the stethoscope head and sterilized in conventional manner. One such manner is to insert the blade and thermometer in a container containing alcohol or some other sterilizing agent. There are now on the market containers which are adapted to just nicely receive thermometers for this purpose. It is my thought that containers of this same general type may be constructed in such manner as to just nicely receive the improved tongue blade and thermometer as herein described.

One of the chief advantages of the apparatus above described is that it enables a doctor to conduct a preliminary examination of a patient with instruments which are located in one convenient and readily accessible position. Thus the doctor would not have to look in one spot for his ilashlight, another for his thermometer and yet another for his tongue blade. All of these items are, of course, combined into one in tegral unit in my invention.

It is to be understood that changes and modiication may be made in my invention as set forth herein and although I have described one such embodiment in specio detail I do not intend to be limited to such structure as set forth except as such included in the subjoined claims. I-lav ing thus described my invention what I claim as new and what is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A tongue blade comprising a fiat portion having a raised ridge along two sides and an end thereof, a groove located in said flat portion and adapted to receive a thermometer stem, a thermometer having its bulb end positioned within a member adapted to serve as an extension of said blade, means for securing said member to said flat portion, said thermometer stem being in said groove, said blade being provided with a resilient member xed at one end on its upper surface, the free end of said resilient member normally being below the height of said ridges, and an actuating member pivoted to said blade beneath its lower surface, said actuating member having a portion extending through an opening provided in said blade and contacting the free end of said resilient member, movement of said actuating member resulting in the free end of said resilient member being forced towards a position above the height of said ridges. y

2. The device of claim 1 in which said actuating member lies substantially flush with said lower surface when the free end of said resilient member is forced above said ridges, said actuating member serving as gripping means for said blade when the free end of said resilient member lies below said ridges.

CHARLES T. WEHBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

